


I Promise.

by Lauren_is_a_moron



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Attempted Kidnapping, Friendship, Happy Ending, Kindergarten, little Archie and Jug and Betty are little shits, little Cheryl Blossom needs a hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:28:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22817023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lauren_is_a_moron/pseuds/Lauren_is_a_moron
Summary: Five-year-old Cheryl Blossom promises to protect her little tormentors.Always.
Relationships: Cheryl Blossom & Archie Andrews & Jughead Jones & Betty Cooper, Cheryl Blossom & Betty Cooper
Comments: 3
Kudos: 26





	I Promise.

**Author's Note:**

> just a mini fic about the core 3 and Cheryl. I'm slowly building myself back up to writing properly again. Hope you enjoy :)

* * *

It started in Kindergarten. 

Little Cheryl Blossom liked getting what she wanted. She was a Blossom after all, so most of the time she did. When Midge Klump got a pony for her fifth birthday, she demanded a whole stable of them. Specifically pink pony's. Cheryl didn't care how they were pink. The concept of right and wrong hadn't registered with her yet, so no matter how many times her parents calmly told her that no, it wasn't possible, she refused to believe it. Cheryl threw a tantrum until her father gave in, and bought four pony's. It's not important how exactly they turned such a color, but five-year-old Cheryl didn't care. They were pastel pink with long manes and bright red bows tied to their necks, and Cheryl had made sure to boast about them in class, straight to Midge Klump's face. 

She forgot about them within a week. They didn't even have names.

The thing was, Cheryl only wanted things because the other kids had them. In this case it was a carton of milk at nap-time. Chocolate milk to be exact. She'd already had her own a few hours earlier, insisting to the teachers that she got sick if she didn't have her milk before the others. Really though, it was to prove that she was Miss Morris's favourite. Hers was plain and refreshing, and perfect just before a nap. Cheryl drank it so fast she felt her tummy jump into her throat.

She wasn't even thirsty. But when the other kids were given their milk after her, the fact that Elizabeth Cooper's carton was chocolate, made her thirsty again. Her mouth watered. It wasn't like the girl was quiet about it. Alice Cooper had brought it in as a special gift. Cheryl's mother never brought her special gifts. It wasn't fair. Elizabeth had held the carton like it was gold, squeezing onto it with bright blue eyes, lips pulled into an excited grin. 

First thing's first, Cheryl did not like Elizabeth. The girl's hair reminded her of chewed up cheese, a long mess of blonde curls tied into pigtails. She was the classes princess, always dressing up in her Sleeping Beauty dress and doing twirls for the teachers while they happily laughed and clapped. When Cheryl wore a princess dress and did a twirl, the teachers smiled blandly and nodded. "You're very pretty, Cheryl!" It was a compliment, but Elizabeth had been told she would marry a prince and live happily ever after. Part of her longed for the girl's locks. There weren't any Disney princesses with red hair. Well, there _was_ Ariel. But Ariel was a fish. It wasn't the same. 

Every time she tried to be Aurora or Cinderella, the other girl's would tell her to stop, pulling off the blonde wig and throwing it in the toy box. According to them, she was 'too mean' to be a Princess. And not nearly as beautiful as Elizabeth. 

During dress up day, the whole class applauded when Elizabeth had pretended to cast a spell, magically making brownies appear on a tray. But Cheryl wasn't stupid. Everyone knew faeries lived in the Blossom gardens and didn't set foot anywhere else. Besides, she had seen Mrs Cooper sneak up behind the girl and pass her the brownies, while the other kids were distracted by the cloud of glitter that had supposedly came out of her 'wand'.

If Elizabeth was a real princess, Cheryl hoped she'd kiss a frog and become an ugly, scaly creature and live in the Blossom pond forever. Cheryl would take her crown, or rather, the sparkly tiara she always wore to school. 

And now her mortal enemy had chocolate milk. It was the type of drink Cheryl only got on special occasions, whether that was her birthday, or someone else's. The fact that Elizabeth was waving around something so special, so valuable made her blood boil. She wanted that chocolate milk. And she'd get it. Because Cheryl Blossom always got what she wanted. According to school rules, Cheryl wasn't allowed to wear her mother's long red dress. It didn't exactly fit, but with some adjustments done by Cheryl herself (cutting off the frills and some inches off of the skirt) it was wearable. Miss Morris told her she couldn't wear it so in true Cheryl Blossom fashion, she screamed and threatened with telling her parents- until the teacher gave in. She wore the outfit with pride, holding her head up high and smiling widely. It was so much better than a dumb Princess dress.

Even with the teachers, she always got what she wanted. 

Cheryl watched the girl from a distance, pretending to be embroiled in her crayoned drawing of Elizabeth's untimely demise. A lot of the red crayon was used, since Elizabeth had been eaten by an evil dragon. Cheryl didn't take her eye off of the chocolate milk until playtime was over, and the kids were grabbing their cartons of milk from a tray sitting on the teacher's desk. Maybe it was a miracle that Miss Morris had asked to speak to Elizabeth outside the classroom. Which gave her the perfect opportunity.

So, dropping onto her hands and knees and crawling across the playroom, shoving toys and books out of the way, Cheryl reached the tray of milk on the teachers desk. There was one carton left. The other kids had retired to the floor, curling up on multi coloured bean bags while Miss Morris helped Reggie Mantle pick out a storybook. Elizabeth had come back inside, but she was rifling through the toy box, no doubt looking for the teddy bear she always slept with. Cheryl took her chance. She didn't think she'd have one better than this. Giggling, she reached out and swiped the milk off of the tray. It felt amazing in her hands. Cool and refreshing. There was a cartoon picture of a smiling tooth on the front which made her smile. "Alright, everyone!" Miss Morris sang. "Find your sleeping buddy and lie down!"

Cheryl didn't have a sleeping buddy. She didn't need one. Teddy bears were for babies, anyway. She shoved the milk into her dress pocket, shaking with excitement. Her plan was to wait until everyone was asleep, and then Cheryl would drink it. And it would be the best milk she had ever tasted. She would savour it, then dump the carton on Elizabeth's desk along with the drawing and sign her name in bloody red crayon. 

Cheryl was still laughing to herself when a squeaky voice made her jump. 

"What are you doing?"

Turning around, she found herself staring at two boys. Her lips curved into a scowl. She automatically recognised the speaker from the whistling noise. Archie Andrews had lost his front tooth last week, and every time he spoke through the ginormous gap in his teeth, she found it hilarious. And there he was. Archie Andrews, with his partner in crime Jughead Jones. Elizabeth's friends. Like the blonde, the boys weren't Cheryl's favourite people. She was constantly mistaken for being Archie's sister, thanks to the boy looking almost identical to her. He didn't just share the color of her hair, which Cheryl already hated. Red was her color. The Andrews boy also had pasty white skin and freckles speckling his cheeks, just like her. There had been numerous times when she'd grabbed him in the playground, thinking he was her brother Jason.

She had told him in the past to make his hair a different color, but he just told his dad, and Cheryl got told off for being mean. But she wasn't being mean. Archie didn't deserve to have red hair like her. In her eyes, the color was beautiful. It was the late evening sunset in the Summer, springs of warm orange and mellow red coming together, streaking across the sky glittering with dying sunlight. Sometimes she'd see the boys curls catch the light, transforming it into an inferno. A bright, flickering ignition of her favourite color. 

It wasn't fair that Archie had her hair. 

And it wasn't fair that he refused to change it.

Archie was frowning at her, his own crimson curls falling in narrowed brown eyes. He was hand in hand with Jughead Jones. The two of them had been inseparable since before she could remember. Archie was one thing, being Elizabeth's Prince, but Jughead was so much worse. She didn't like Jughead because he looked weird. He had a big nose like Pinocchio, and crooked teeth. She liked to make fun of him, making him cry. But he was a big baby, telling Archie who would yell at her. He used his best friend like a shield. Jughead usually hid under unbrushed raven hair sticking out from a knitted beanie he never took off. She was sure it was to hide his nose.

Cheryl had overheard her mother call him Trailer Trash, but she wasn't sure what it meant. His clothes were always too big for him, hanging from his wiry figure. Jughead didn't speak to anyone, except Archie and Elizabeth. The two boys looked mismatched in front of her; Archie with his brand new Spider-Man shirt he wouldn't stop talking about, and Jughead in oversized overalls and a sweater. But they both had the same expression. Suspicion. Jughead kept sneaking glances at her dress pocket, and Archie had his arms folded, lips curled with distaste. 

Cheryl glared back at them after gathering herself. "None of your beeswax." She shot back, clenching her fists by her sides, sliding the thin material of her dress between her fingers. She cocked her brow at Jughead. "What do you want, Big Nose?"

Jughead sniffled. He gingerly rubbed his nose, casting his eyes to the ground. "Stop calling me mean names."

Archie nodded. "Yeah! And you took our friend's milk."

Cheryl went into defensive mode. "No I didn't! Liar liar, pants on fire!"

Archie shook his head. "We saw you, Cheryl. It's in your pocket." He said matter of factly. The gap in his teeth was making whistling noises, and she couldn't resist giggling, smirking at the boy. "You sound funny, Archie."

The boy stamped his foot, brown eyes flashing. "I can't help it! Give Ewizabeth her milk back." His tooth whistled through the pronunciation as he held out his hand. But this time she didn't laugh. He wiggled his hand, tapping his foot impatiently. "Now." 

Jughead nodded, his lip quirking slightly. "You stole Elizabeth's milk because you're jealous." He said. "Like a jealous witch."

"What?" Tears sprung to her eyes. "I'm not a witch!

"Yes you are." Archie said, his red hair exploding into hues of pretty reds and oranges when Miss Morris turned the nightlight on. Cheryl hated it. She hated, _hated it!_

"You're an evil witch who stole the Princess's milk." He exchanged a cruel smile with Jughead. "Give it back, Cheryl. Evil witch's don't deserve chocolate milk."

"Yeah." Jughead giggled. He squeezed Archie's hand tighter. "Big nosed witch."

Cheryl lost all her fight. She staggered back, tears filling her eyes. "Stop! Stop calling me a witch!"

"Witch!" The boys chorused, giggling. 

Pressing her hands over her ears, Cheryl screamed. She screamed until her throat was raw, until the boys were stumbling back with wide eyes, and the rest of the class were looking over, an assortment of confusion and amusement on their faces. 

"She really is a witch!" Archie gaped. 

"Throw her in the pond!" Jughead joined in, laughing. The two started chanting. 

_Throw her in the pond!_

_Throw her in the pond!_

Cheryl screamed louder, jumping up and down. "Stop!"

"What on Earth is going on?" Miss Morris came over, with a confused looking Elizabeth in tow. Archie and Jughead went silent, and Cheryl choked on her next cry.

The blonde joined her friends quickly, pressing her head to Jughead's ear, where he no doubt told her Cheryl had stolen her milk. But Elizabeth didn't look angry. She just whispered back to the boy, the two of them giggling together, stealing glances at her. Cheryl swore she heard the word "witch", and her eyes teared up again. She was about to tell the teacher that they were being mean, which they definitely were. But Archie was already standing on his tiptoes, eager to tell on her first. "Miss Morris!" He whistled through the gap in his tooth, tugging the woman's patterned dress. Miss Morris was pretty with kind features. Her hair was like liquid chocolate, tied into a neat bob.

"Miss Morris, Cheryl stole Ewizabeth's chocolate milk!"

"Excuse me, Archie? What was that?"

The boy shook curls from his face. "She did! She hid it in her pocket!"

The teacher looked horrified, while Archie, Elizabeth and Jughead looked smug.

"Cheryl, is that true?" Miss Morris held out her hand, her expression strict, usual kind green eyes creased with irritation. "Give it back, please. That milk is for Elizabeth, honey." Despite her expression, her words were soft. Cheryl felt her cheeks go tomato red. Especially when she caught the three of them giggling together behind Miss Morris's back. The boys pulled twisted faces, moving in jerking motions, pretending to be a witch. Elizabeth didn't join in, but she didn't tell them to stop either. Cheryl swiped her eyes and steeled herself. She wouldn't cry in front of them. "Miss Morris!" she whined, stamping her foot. "They keep calling me a witch! Look! They're making mean faces!"

The teacher didn't even look around. "Just give it back, Cheryl. That milk is specifically for Elizabeth. Come on, sweetheart. Do I need to call your mommy?"

Her eyes widened. "No!" Her mommy hated coming to school to sort out disputes. She specifically told Cheryl not to bother her. Penelope Blossom had no choice to come if Cheryl demanded it, but if her daughter was found being unkind to a another kid, it was a different story. The girl shook her head, her trembling hand delving into her dress pocket and pulling out the carton. Cheryl handed the milk over without a word, and the teacher nodded, turning and giving the carton back to Elizabeth who grasped it to her chest. The boys automatically hounded her, as if they really were protecting her. 

Cheryl's lip curled. _As if they really were her Prince's_. She clenched her teeth. They would never protect _her_.

To them, she was an ugly witch.

"That's right." Miss Morris smiled brightly. "Cheryl, what do you say?"

Cheryl stuck out her tongue. Her eyes were still stinging, and her cheeks felt like they were going to burn off. "I hope you get eaten by a dragon." She spat at the boys, as well as Elizabeth. She sneered. "And I hope the dragon poos you out into a pool of lava."

"Cheryl!" Miss Morris exclaimed, and Cheryl winced. She hated it when the teacher raised her voice. She relaxed slightly. "I'm going to give you one last chance to apologise to Elizabeth, okay? We don't steal. If we want something, we ask. I'm sure if you asked to share it, Elizabeth would have been more than happy. Right Elizabeth?"

The blonde nodded eagerly, waving the carton in the air excitedly. "Yes, Miss Morris!"

"Wonderful!" Miss Morris exclaimed happily. "Cheryl?"

Cheryl glared at the ground, refusing to look at either of them. She clenched her fists tighter. "I'm sorry for taking your milk, Elizabeth." She whispered. 

The teacher beamed. "Well done, Cheryl! That wasn't hard, was it?" With a last smile at Elizabeth and the boys, she joined the other kids, rounding them all up. 

"Nap time, children! Get your buddy, please!"

Cheryl was left with the three of them. She expected them to run off to the others, and join in with the growing group of kids curling up for nap time. But they stayed in front of her. Lifting her head, Cheryl tried to smile at them. But it was more of a grimace. Her gaze found the milk still in Elizabeth's arms. Her mouth watered again. The blonde was frowning at her, blue eyes wide. While Archie and Jughead glared. Their eyes were piercing, twisting her tummy. Cheryl took a small step back. "Could I still have some of your milk?" She asked softly, once again trying to smile. It was hard for her to smile with meaning. She only really smiled with purpose. When she really wanted something. 

She still wanted the milk, but part of Cheryl was also envious of how close Jughead, Archie and Elizabeth were. Maybe she wanted to be part of them. 

Elizabeth nodded eagerly. "Sure!" Tearing open the carton, Elizabeth swigged the carton and swiping her lips, giggling. "Here you go!" 

"Really?" Cheryl could hardly hold her excitement! She reached out for the carton, before Elizabeth snatched it back and drank the rest. Cheryl watched, her stomach twisting into knots as the blonde let out a satisfied sigh before dropping the carton at the feet. 

"But-" Staring at the empty carton, warm tears splashed down her cheeks.

"All gone!" Elizabeth laughed, before turning to Cheryl, blue eyes blazing. Maybe Cheryl was seeing things, like when she saw faeries in the garden, but the girl's eyes looked alive, writhing with fairy dust. She swallowed hard. The blonde took a step towards her. "Chocolate milk isn't for witches." She said matter-of-factly. 

"She's right, Cheryl," Jughead sang. "If you drink it you could turn into a frog."

"We're saving you." Archie nodded with his own mischievous smile. He cocked his head. "Do you _want_ to turn into an ugly toad, Cheryl?"

The words were popping from her mouth before she could stop them. "No." She said softly. Her bottom lip wobbled. "I'm not a- I'm not a witch!"

She narrowed her eyes, snarling.

Archie gasped. He grabbed Elizabeth and Jughead's hands, pulling them away, laughing. "She's got evil in her eyes! Come on! Cheryl's going to cast a spell on us!"

Jughead giggled. "Protect Elizabeth!" 

They ran off, laughing and falling over each other, before curling up with the others. Cheryl stood there for a long moment, glaring at the floor. She clenched her fists. 

_Don't cry_. Her mommy said crying was weak. 

Cheryl squeezed her eyes shut. She wished they would just...go away. 

_She wished a real dragon would come and swoop them up, taking them far, far away._

"Cheryl!" Miss Morris shouted. "Come and join us, sweetheart! Don't forget your buddy!"

Ignoring the teacher, Cheryl bent down and picked up the carton, lifted it to her lips and squeezed the last precious dregs of chocolate milk into her mouth. There was some left. Enough to quench her thirst. It tasted amazing. Satisfied, she dropped the carton on the ground and ran over to join the other kids, a grin pasted on her lips. 

"Miss Morris!" Cheryl shouted gleefully, pointing at the discarded carton on the ground. She caught their eye, the three of them seemingly simultaneously remembering their mistake. She took great pleasure in telling on them. Their Kindergarten teacher was lovely, really. But when kids littered in the classroom, she got much stricter.

"Elizabeth, Archie and Jughead littered!"

* * *

It was as soon as Kindergarten had ended, when Cheryl came to realise her wish may have come true. She was perched on the steps outside, practising ballet on the long metal banister that ran up the steps. The wind whispered as snow fell like confetti on her red woolly hat. She stopped attempting pirouettes, shivering in her parka pulled around her mother's dress and gazed at the untouched snow which had fallen while she was in class. The swirling white and the lush grass collided. The shrubs and trees were stained with white, turning Riverdale's kindergarten into a winter wonderland. The ground was as smooth as a cake and the snow fell like icing powder, perfecting it to its finest point. The snow had began falling during nap time, and the kids had awoken to a surprise. 

Cheryl giggled and stuck out her tongue, letting flakes dance on her tongue. 

Her mother was late again. She was always late. Normally it didn't matter. She would sit in Miss Morris's classroom or go exploring. But not today. Cheryl was tired. She was cold. And every car that went past that wasn't her mother's was sending her heart into her throat. Cheryl sat down with a huff. The last vestiges of the setting sun disappeared over the horizon, the copper hues giving way to a dusty purple scattered with the occasional glitter of a faraway star. The distant skyline stood silhouetted against a velvety sky. The snowfall seemed to get heavier, an array of dancing flakes in front of her, and she wrapped her arms around her legs, digging her head into her lap. She didn't understand. She and Jason were in the same class, and Cheryl had been sure she'd spotted her mother carting Jason through a crowd of kids and parents. So where was she? 

Sniffling, Cheryl buried her head further into the soft material of her parka. A lashing sheet of wind blew into her, stinging her cheeks. 

Footsteps. 

Her heart started slamming into her rib-cage. Her stomach twisted. 

"Cheryl? What on earth are you doing?"

Snapping her head up, the girl broke out into a smile at the sight in front of her; her mother wrapped in a black coat, her hair pulled into its usual bun. Penelope Blossom sighed. "What are you doing out here? Are you stupid, child? You could catch a cold!"

"Sorry mommy." She mumbled, wrapping her arms around her mother. Her mom was so warm, and Cheryl leached onto that heat, the sense of security. 

"Hmm." Penelope murmured, pulling away. Her dark eyes scanned the little girl, before her lip twitched. "Where's your bag?"

Cheryl wrapped her arms around herself, her eyes filling with tears. It was so cold. She just wanted to go home. "I left it inside, mommy." 

"Go and get it, you silly girl!" Penelope shoved her gently up the steps and she stumbled. "Go on! I'll be waiting out here, sweetie."

Would she though? It wouldn't be the first time her mother had left her for hours. Cheryl almost asked, but found herself stumbling back up the steps, and yanking open the doors of Riverdale's Kindergarten. Taking steady steps, Cheryl curled into herself. School was scarier in the dark. The lights were still on, but the corridor was still empty and eerie. The only sound was the tap, tap, tap of a leaky pipe. Her classroom was all the way at the end of the hall. Cheryl walked faster, keeping her gaze stuck to paintings on the walls done by kids. Someone had drawn a smiling sun, and she giggled nervously. She was frowning at a particular painting which was a mess of rainbow scribbles, when the doors at end of the corridor flew open, making her jump. But she took a deep breath. 

_She wasn't scared._

Cheryl continued walking, the milk from earlier climbing up her throat. There were figures coming down the corridor, silhouettes dancing across the walls. 

She recognised one of them. The familiar brunette bob swam into view, and Cheryl relaxed. Miss Morris. She opened her mouth to greet her teacher, but the woman looked to be in a hurry. Behind her were three men Cheryl didn't know. They didn't look like teachers. They were dressed all in black, identical expressions pasted on their faces.

"Hurry up!" Miss Morris hissed, before her gaze finally found Cheryl.

"Oh! Cheryl, sweetie. Your bag is in the classroom, okay? I left it unlocked. Why don't you hurry along and grab it?"

Cheryl nodded. But her throat was dry. She frowned at the strangers. "Okay!" She said with her back to the teacher, continuing to walk stiffly.

Miss Morris broke into a power-walk, and Cheryl flinched, slowly turning around. She couldn't help it.

"Two hundred thousand, alright? In cash." Miss Morris didn't sound like her usual self. 

One of the men grunted in reply. "That's right. They're in high demand."

"By who?" Miss Morris hissed. 

"You know their parents," He grumbled. "Work it out."

The teacher must have noticed her still hovering. "Cheryl, sweetie. Go and get your bag."

"Whose the kid?"

Miss Morris snorted. "Not for sale, Rick."

She could move again. Spinning around so fast her head spun, Cheryl stared at her sparkly shoes until she had reached the end of the corridor.

Reaching out a shaking hand, Cheryl pushed the door to her classroom open, and hurried in. She spotted her bright yellow bag on the carpet and rushed over, grabbing it. But as she was shouldering it, a sharp cry rang out, shattering her ears. For a moment she froze, her fingers tightening around her backpack strap. Cheryl knew the cry. She knew it well. Before she could stop herself, Cheryl was rushing back onto the corridor, blinking in the bright lights. For a moment there was just white light, before her vision cleared.

At the end of the hall, a small girl looked to be holding hands with one of the strange men. The girl looked frenzied, blue eyes wide, lips twisted into a silent cry. She no longer looked like a princess. Her pretty dress nowhere to be seen. Elizabeth had changed into a pink pastel sweater and jeans, a matching coat flung over the top. Her tiara was still sitting on her head of blonde curls. But she didn't look like a princess. The girl was yanking on the man's hand, but he kept a tight grasp on her. Cheryl swallowed thickly.

The only man who was allowed to pick up Elizabeth was her father. And that man was definitely not Hal Cooper.

Miss Morris was holding the door open for them, and seemed unfazed by Elizabeth's soft squeaks. The stranger clinging onto the blonde cleared his throat loudly.

"Just this little bitch, Rachel? Boss wants all three of them."

Miss Morris scoffed. Cheryl slipped back behind the door, biting her lip. She'd never seen her teacher look so...evil. Like a real evil witch. Miss Morris's voice was harsh and cutting, sending shivers slipping down Cheryl's spine. "Andrews and Jones are in the truck, Rick. Don't be a fucking smart-ass. Just take them and leave my name out of it."

Jones and Andrews? Cheryl started to tremble. Archie and Jughead? She covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut. Where was her mommy? Why wasn't she coming for her?

"Cheryl?" Miss Morris's voice sent shock-waves through her and she jumped up, following the teachers voice, stumbling down the hall. "What are you doing?"

"My mommy's coming to get me." She said, her voice breaking a little.

Miss Morris nodded. "Alright, that's fine!"

Cheryl cringed at her teachers scary smile. Her gaze snapped to Elizabeth and the strange man. "I'm afraid Alice Cooper is sick, so she's sent Elizabeth's uncle to pick her up."

She nodded, stuffing her trembling hands in her pocket. "Hi Elizabeth."

Elizabeth sniffled. "Hi Cheryl." She whimpered. Despite the fear crackling in her eyes, the blonde shot her a broken smile. "I'm sorry for calling you a witch."

Cheryl smiled back, clutching her backpack. "It's okay."

And then she couldn't help it. "Where are you going, Elizabeth?"

The girl risked a look at the man gripping her hand. Tears filled her eyes. "I don't know." The girl let out a breath. "Miss Morris, I don't think-"

"You're going with your uncle Rick, Elizabeth." Miss Morris said firmly. 

The strange man chortled. "I'm your uncle, right Lizzie?" Cheryl saw the moment the man squeezed the girl's hand so hard she squeaked, tears running down ashen cheeks.

"Yes." Elizabeth breathed. 

"Right then!" Miss Morris chuckled. "Cheryl, go and see your mother, it's freezing outside!" It was more of an order than a suggestion, and Cheryl found herself being escorted back into the cold. "Wait!" Elizabeth squeaked. But whatever the girl had said was drowned by the wind roaring in her ears. The doors slammed behind her before Cheryl could turn back. The snowfall was harsh now, a swirling storm of silver hitting her in the face. But the cold barely fazed her. Cheryl stayed frozen on the top of the steps, Elizabeth's cries still reverberating in the back of her skull. Cheryl didn't dare turn back, though she could still hear her teachers muffled voice from inside.

_The man was Elizabeth's uncle_ , she told herself. 

Not a stranger. 

_He was her uncle._

So why were her teachers words playing over and over in her head like a stuck record?

_Andrews and Jones are in the truck._

She twisted around, scanning the streets. No sign of a truck. 

No sign of her mommy either.

It was so dark. Cheryl shivered, blinking in the blackness. She was disoriented, stumbling down the first few steps, her belly twisting itself into knots. The sky above stretched on for what felt forever, an endless pool of oblivion. There were no stars. 

"Mom?" Cheryl cried, shielding her face from the onslaught of snow. "Mommy?!"

Penelope Blossom was nowhere to be seen. Which meant there was nobody to tell that her classmate was with a stranger. Cheryl knew what Stranger Danger was. Miss Morris had been strict about them talking to strangers. So why was Miss Morris letting Elizabeth go with the strange man claiming to be her uncle? And why did she ask the man for money? Her wish from earlier hit her hard. _She wished a real dragon would come and swoop them up, taking them far, far away._

Did she do this?!

Right now, Cheryl's biggest problem was her mother had gone, slipping into the dark, bleeding into the snowfall. Cheryl's next shriek for her mom as strangled at the back of her throat. Her teeth chattered despite her efforts to clamp her mouth shut. Cheryl wasn't sure how long she stood there, staring absently at the flurry of snow as it fell in front of her, twirling around her like fairy dust. She watched headlights fly by, but they were in long intervals, and by the time the third car has passed, her toes are numb. She stuffed her hands into her pockets, whimpering. What what she's waiting for? Was Cheryl waiting for her mother, or for Elizabeth and her uncle to finally step out of the school?

Riverdale's Kindergarten was located on a quiet road, right in the middle of town, so the streets were desolate. The only sign of life was a black cat darting across the road, its tiny paws making prints in the blanket of white. She was bending over, trying to beckon the cat over making pspspspspspsps noises, when the door to the school finally flew open. 

Cheryl squeaked, stumbling into the shadows. _It was dark, she told herself. They couldn't see her. It was dark. They couldn't see her._ _It was dark. They couldn't see her._

Trembling, she backed into a wall, pressing herself against the harsh brick. There were streetlights outside the door, illuminating the blizzard still swirling around her.

Elizabeth was out first. She was still holding her uncle's hand. The girl was no longer crying, shuffling along, her eyes stuck to the ground, blonde hair hanging in front of her face. Miss Morris stayed at the entrance, watching the two of them descend.

She didn't say anything, only watched as the stranger pulled the girl harshly down the steps. The teacher hovered in the doorway for a moment, before shutting the door. 

As soon as they were on their own, Elizabeth started to cry. "Where's my mommy?" She said softly. "Are you taking me to her?"

"Yeah, sure." The stranger chuckled, yanking on the girl's arm. "Come on."

"But..." The blonde stumbled over her own feet, staggering. "Where are we going?"

"Home, you little bitch. Now shut the fuck up."

Cheryl didn't know what she was doing, but she was following them, keeping her distance. The snow got worse, slamming into her.

It was almost up to her ankles. The stranger pulled Elizabeth down the sidewalk, and Cheryl stumbled after them. It wasn't until the stranger was sticking his keys into the lock of a scary looking black van, did Cheryl start crying. She slapped her hand over her mouth to muffle the sobs, but they drowned her ears. The stranger, however, didn't seem to hear her. He dragged Elizabeth to the back. The blonde shook her head. "No." she said. "No, I don't want to go in there."

The stranger laughed out loud. "Think you've got a choice, little brat?" He spat, before unlocking the back. He wrapped his arms around the girl and lifted her, kicking and squealing, into the van. Cheryl felt herself fall back. She wanted to run. She wanted to scream. But she was frozen. She watched the stranger as he rounded the front of his van, jumping in the front seat. And then, without even thinking, Cheryl was running towards the back of the van. She was going to be sick. The keys were still in the back, and she stood on her tiptoes. She twisted the key, and a loud click sounded. 

The door creaked open, and she found herself staring at three frightened faces illuminated in harsh light.

Elizabeth, Jughead and Archie. The boys were shivering without a coat, Elizabeth holding onto them for dear life. For a moment time stopped as they took each other in, Jughead and Archie's expression's going from terrified, twisting with confusion.

"Cheryl?" Archie whimpered. 

Before she could reply, the engines started. She didn't really need to speak before they were vaulting up and diving out, almost knocking her over. She followed, hitting the ground knees first. But it was snow she hit, not concrete. Archie grabbed her hand, and he was shaking as much as her. "Come on," He gasped out, pulling her to her feet and dragging her after the others. He led them into the dark, Betty and Jughead clutching each other, and Cheryl holding Archie's clammy hand. They were out of breath, sobbing, shivering, their breath dancing in wisps of white. The cold had slithered into every atom of her being, freezing her insides. But Cheryl found herself smiling. 

Properly smiling. 

Still speechless, the four of them watched the van speed off from the safety of the dark, with the back door flapping open. When it was gone, Elizabeth detached herself from Jughead, and Archie grabbed his best friend's hand, pulling him into an embrace. 

For a moment, Cheryl lost her smile. She waited for them to start being mean again. But instead of a cruel smile, Elizabeth's smile was bright in the din, her eyes sparkling. the girl pulled off her tiara and handed it to Cheryl, who took it with a gasp.

"Your crown!"

"Have it." The girl murmured. 

Cheryl was speechless. "But-"

"You saved us from the evil witch." Elizabeth was breathless, but smiling too. Her blue eyes shined with tears, and she wrapped her arms around Cheryl, sobbing into her shoulder. After a moment, Archie joined in, and then Jughead, awkwardly pressing himself into her. "M' sorry I called you a witch." He murmured into her jacket. The boy was crying. Cheryl cried too. Maybe her wish had come true. And if it had...if she truly had wished for them to be spirited away, then she would protect them...forever. 

"I'll do it again." She said, her voice breaking. "I'll always save you from the evil witches."

"Promise?" Archie murmured, Jughead mumbling his affirmation. 

Cheryl nodded. "I promise."

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed, thanks for reading! <3 Feel free to leave kudos if you enjoyed :D and tell me what you think! <3 
> 
> added notes: i was going to add a little part in the future where she saves them again in the present- but idk i figured it ended quite well on its own. If you'd like this though, lemme know and I'll write it up :D
> 
> there's also a bit i cut out where Cheryl saves jug freshman year when he's living in the school, from creeps. I wanted to make it as light and fluffy as possible (TIS MY GOAL) but if ya'll want that too, I'd be happy to add it <3


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